Don't Go
by Angelwriter84
Summary: Sequel to "Squidward, the Lifesaver." Squlliam Fancyson is going to perforn in a recital for none other than King Neptune. But young Squilla screams for him not to go. Why? When her actions prove not to be for nothing, will Squidward and Sqilliam's family be able to save him?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone. I decided to post a small sequel to my last short story, "Squidward, the Lifesaver." I'm not sure if you could make much sense of this unless you read the first one, but if you want, you can start with this. Hope you enjoy! R & R if you get the time. **

**DISCLAIMER: All original characters belong to the Nickelodeon show, SpongeBob, and its creators. **

**PS- Don't worry! Squidward is/will be in this Fanfic. You don't see Squilliam without Squidward much ;) **

**Don't Go**

_Squilliam _

Squilliam Fancyson III gave orders nonstop as he carried his sleeping two year old through their luxurious home. His wife, Squillia, held onto his arm. She smiled and shook her head because she knew there was no use in trying to calm him down. A house full of assistants, maids, butlers, and attendants trailed behind them as they took notes.

"Make sure _everything _is polished, see to it that my clarinet is working and waiting at the door tomorrow, see to it that the concert band is ready, and-"

Squillia had had enough. "Squilliam! Let them go so they can do their jobs. You've already been over this a hundred times!"

Betty, Squilla's bold nanny, held out her arms for Squilla. "And if you're going to yell anymore, let me take Squilla. It's a wonder she's slept through your yelling so far."

Squilliam narrowed his eyes and drew back. "Because she's a Fancyson. And it's _my _night to put her down. Why do you think I've been carrying her all this time?"

Betty grumbled and left to go to her bedroom. Probably preparing to watch over Squilla tonight. After all, tomorrow was a big day.

Squillia pleaded him with her eyes. "Squilliam."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, very well. Butler?"

The butler stepped forward. "Sir?"

"Don't let _anyone _bother me until it's time to get ready for the recital tomorrow. Let. Me. Sleep."

"Yes, sir."

Squilliam moved on down the list. "Security?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Keep the paparazzi _away _this time, for crying out loud!"

"Yes, sir."

"Attendants?"

"Sir?"

"See to it that the limo is perfect! I won't stand for shabby transportation!"

"Of course, sir!"

"And assistants, see to it that the band is ready to go-"

"Squilliam Fancyson!"

He hadn't noticed that Squilla had startled and was beginning to wake up. Her little face crumpled in anger. Squillia gently patted her back until she turned her head and gradually went back to sleep.

Squilliam gently cradled her head and glanced over his shoulder at his loyal staff, all silent as they waited for him to speak again.

He sighed and waved his hand. "Oh, fine. Everyone is dismissed. Be sure everything is ready by 3 pm sharp."

As everyone dispersed, Squilliam wrapped his arm around Squillia and started up the stairs that lead to their personal hallway.

Squillia's beautiful eyes shone as they walked. "Is it necessary to hound them so much, dear?"

Squilliam smirked. "Of course it is. I have to keep them on top of things somehow. Besides, a recital for King Neptune is nothing to dawdle on. Everything must be perfect."

Squillia kissed his cheek. "It will be. But first you need to rest."

She rubbed her daughter's tiny head and kissed her. "Goodnight, my little angel."

Squilliam ran his head through the tiny mass of soft light brown curls that was beginning to sprout from her head. Just like her mother.

Squillia pinched his cheek. "Don't be long."

He smiled confidently. "Be right there."

He continued to Squilla's nursery as Squillia went inside their bedroom and closed the door. He opened the door to the luxurious nursery, where Betty had everything ready for little Squilla. He turned down the light pink blanket inside her crib and gently laid her down.

Squilla's little face scrunched, objecting to the sudden change of position. Squilliam tucked the blanket around her and nestled her stuffed bear next to her. Squilla's expression gradually softened into a peaceful slumber. Squilliam bent to give her a kiss on the forehead.

"Alright, Betty. She's all yours."

He had to smirk when Betty rolled her eyes. "Thank you, sir."

"Oh, deal with it Betty. It's not like you're not making salary."….

…... Squilliam was peeled from his heavy slumber by the sound of a scream coming from the nursery. Squillia bolted upright as their daughter began to cry louder than usual. "What's wrong with Squilla?"

Squilliam threw a pillow over his head when he saw that it was 3:30 am. He was exhausted; he and Squillia had only kissed twice before he fell asleep, and he wanted to continue sleeping.

"Betty will see to it," he yawned.

Squillia didn't seem so sure. Finally, she eased back down and dozed off. It seemed only a second later when a knock sounded on their bedroom door. Squillia threw back the covers and opened it when she heard Squilla was still crying.

Squilliam could just make out Betty's words above their screaming daughter. "I'm sorry, mistress. I…just can't get her to calm down. She keeps calling for the Master."

Squillia tried cooing to their toddler to get her to calm down. When it only made it worse, she thanked Betty and closed the door. Little Squilla was pitiful.

"Da…da…. Dada!" was all she said between the screams.

Squillia turned around. "Squilliam?"

Squilliam drew in a deep breath, tossed back the covers, and tied his bathrobe together. He took his screaming daughter from Squillia and tried bouncing her as he sat down on the bed.

"Squilla! Squilla. Behave yourself," he scolded.

When her screams were reduced to quiet sobs, he got her to look at him. "What's the matter?"

Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks as she fell forward against his chest and cried louder. Squillia rubbed the back of her head. "Well, something's bothering her. I don't understand. She's never acted like this before."

Squilliam unlatched her hold on him and sat her on his knees. "Squilla. Tell Dada what all this is about."

Her little eyes dropped like she was thinking about something. Unable to find the right words in her limited vocabulary, she reached for him with a desperate cry. "Dada!"

Squilliam shook his head at Squillia and attempted to give the toddler to her mother. As soon as Squilla realized he wasn't holding her, she screamed and reached out for him. Squilliam took her in his arms and gently swatted her on the leg.

"Squilla, stop, baby! I'm right here." As Squilla sniffled and dried her tears, he shared a confused glance with Squillia. "I don't understand."

Squillia rubbed her back to soothe her. "She must have had a bad dream."

Squilliam glanced down at his sobbing daughter. "Oh…"

It took a while for them to get Squilla to calm down enough to lie down in the bed between them. Finally, sometime after 4 am, she drifted into a fitful sleep. Squilliam had to keep a hand over her back until she was sleeping steadily enough for him to turn over and go back to sleep. In less than a minute, he was fast asleep….

….He woke up very late the next morning to find that he was the last one to get up. He checked the clock. 11:30 am. Almost time to get ready for King Neptune's recital. He retied his bathrobe and stumbled downstairs to find Squillia at the table with Betty, trying to get Squilla to eat some vegetable she didn't like.

Instead of giggling and pushing it away as she normally did, she turned her head to the side and cried. Squilliam sat down at the table and waited for the maid to bring him a plate.

"Well, are we in a better mood?"

Betty gave up feeding Squilla. "Not especially."

Squillia sighed and lifted the fussy two year old out of her high chair. She blinked at him twice and waved her hand.

"Dada!"

"Hey, sweetie," he cooed.

Betty put her hands on her hips. "That's as sweet as she's been all morning."

Squillia giggled. "I think she thought he left."

Squilla's little eye popped open in realization on the last word. She instantly began to repeat her behavior from the night before.

"Da….da….!"

Squilliam buried his face in his hands. "Maid! Get me two Ibuprofen, please."

When Squilla reached out to him, he took her and sat her on his knees. "Squilla, stop crying right this instant! Squilla LeeAnn Fancyson!"

She knew she was in trouble by the tone of his voice and at least reduced her cries to soft sniffles.

Squilliam grabbed her hands. "Now, that's better. Tell Dada what's wrong. I know you can say more words than Dada."

When she said nothing, he tried to help her out. "Do you not want me to leave?"

She instantly started crying again. Squilliam hugged her and shared an annoyed glance with Squillia. "I guess not."

Squillia took her and tried bouncing her up and down. "I wonder why this is such a problem for her. She's never acted like this!"

Betty, knowing she would be the one keeping her, interjected. "Maybe you ought not to go."

Squillia kissed their daughter when she cried even louder at the word "go."

"Maybe she's right, Squilliam. There could be a reason she's doing this."

Squilliam placed his hand on his heart. "Squillia. This isn't some typical recital. It is a recital for King Neptune. I can't just decide not to…" He took a glance at Squilla. "G-O."

He got frustrated when Squilla screamed even louder and handed her to Betty. "Never mind! I don't have time for this. Take her and keep her until we can deal with it."

As soon as Betty had taken Squilla out of the room, he felt a twinge of guilt. Squillia sensed it and decided not to say anything about his actions. Instead, she rubbed his shoulders as he ate.

"I'm worried," she said.

Squilliam took the last bite and pulled her into his lap. "Oh, honey, don't be. Everything is going to be fine. It's just her first nightmare, that's all."

Squillia smiled when he lifted her chin. "Did you call Squilvia to see if she and _Squidward _are going tonight?"

Squillia narrowed her eyes. "Of course they are. _Everybody _is. I'm riding with them so I don't have to go early. And you leave Squidward alone tonight, Squilliam Fancyson."

She swatted his shoulder when he just raised his eyebrow.

After a long few hours of making sure everything was perfect, he dressed in his best tuxedo and hurried down the stairs. Squillia was already in the lobby, looking beautiful in a modest rose pink dress. She was talking to Squidward and Squilvia, who she had invited for dinner. Squilvia looked right at home, but Squidward just looked so darn uncomfortable he had to laugh to himself.

"Hello, Squiddy!"

Squidward flinched and quickly narrowed his eyes. "Hey, Squilliam."

Squilliam put an arm around Squillia, who was shooting him daggers. "I would stay for dinner, but I've got to get to the palace early for _King Neptune's recital._ I can't wait to see you there."

Deciding he had rubbed it in enough, Squilliam turned to his wife. "Where's Squilla?"

She sighed tiredly and called up the stairs. "Betty?"

"Coming, Missus."

Squillia turned back to warn Squilvia and Squidward. "We think she had a nightmare about Squilliam leaving last night, and…it's been hard to get her to calm down."

Betty came down the stairs with Squilla in a little purple dress for the recital. As soon as she spotted Squilliam in his tuxedo, she began to wail.

Squilvia touched her hand to her cheek. "Ooohhh, poor little thing."

Squilliam took her in his arms and gave her a goodbye kiss. "Hey! She likes Squidward. Maybe he can _distract _her."

Squilliam might still have a rivalry with Squidward, but he would never forget how Squidward saved her life two years ago by telling them their old maid was slowly poisoning her.

Squidward didn't like the idea and put his hands up in front of him. "NO! N-n-n-no…. I-"

Squilla stopped crying when she heard his voice and turned to look at him with big, round eyes.

Squilliam smirked, having the time of his life. "Of _course_ you can hold her, Squidward."

And before Squidward knew it, he was holding Squilla. The little toddler dried her tears and silently pointed to her father. Squidward must have seen his chance and bent his head to talk to her, speaking in a mocking tone.

"Oh, don't worry, Squilla. It's no big deal that _Dada's leaving_."

And of course, Squilla began to scream again. Squilliam snatched her away. "You nitwit!"

Squidward was the only one laughing. He stopped when Squilvia crossed her arms. "Squidward, that's not funny."

"Psh… Oh, come on…." Squidward tried taking one of Squilla's hands, but she pulled away and continued crying on Squilliam's shoulder.

Squilliam narrowed his eyes at Squillia. "Well, it looks like we're going to have to do this the hard way. Cover your ears."

Squillia gave him a quick kiss. "Be careful, sweetheart."

"I'll see you later tonight, dear." Squilliam kissed her back and pried Squilla off. He handed the screaming toddler to her mother and took a few steps back.

"Dada, noooo!" Squilla wailed.

Squilliam waved at her, instantly feeling guilty. "I'll see you tonight, baby."

He tossed Squidward a tissue for Squilla over his shoulder and got in the back of his sparkling limo. His driver got into the driver's seat, speaking in a calm voice. "To the palace, sir?"

"Straight there."

Squilliam opened his clarinet case and began tinkering with it. Adjusting it, checking the reed, warming up… It seemed like they had been driving at least an hour when he heard a crash.

He felt the wind being knocked out of him when the whole car was jarred violently. It was as if it had literally been shoved back while going at full speed. Squilliam's clarinet was snatched from his hands as the world spun around him.

The last thing he heard before his world went black was the sound of glass breaking. The last thing he saw was the rail of the bridge they had been crossing rushing at him on his side of the car. The last thing he felt was the violent jarring of his head when it hit something. And then everything went black….

…..The sound of voices came from somewhere far away; they hurt his ears, his head. Everything. He pried his eyes open, trying to see where they were coming from. Blinking hurt, and all he could see were blurs. He slowly turned his head to the other side, and noticed that his back hurt. Shooting pains seemed to rush up and down his lower spine. He tested his voice with a small grunt and turned back to the voices.

He vision cleared when he sainted. The voices were those of policemen and a team from the ambulance. A young police officer was inside the ruined limo with him, trying to speak. Squilliam tried to make sense of the words. Why was the idiot speaking in broken sentences?

"…move you, sir…..car won't hold long…..can you move…..feel any pain…"

Squilliam didn't say anything; he was still trying to read the man's lips to understand what he couldn't hear. Another voice came from further away.

"Get….him….out….now…..car…..falling."

The man panicked and unbuckled his seatbelt. One flinch caused Squilliam a world of pain. "Don't touch me!"

He couldn't hear his own words yet, but he forced them out. The young police man hesitated. There was a deafening screeching noise. Squilliam was thrust backward as the world around him moved. The police officer shook his head and grabbed him by the arms.

"Sorry, sir….."

Squilliam groaned when he dragged him halfway across the seat. He cried out in pain when he dragged him the rest of the way. He found himself lying on the ground when he heard a terrible scraping noise, and a huge crash.

The world seemed to lose sound when Squilliam slowly turned his head to the side. All he could hear was his own breathing amidst all the feet running around. There was a gaping hole in the bridge where his limo had probably been.

Eventually, an older ambulance guy got into his line of vision. He could hear every word, but they still seemed far away. Like echoes. "Sir, we're going to lift you onto a stretcher. Lie as still as possible. We're going to take good care of you…."

Squilliam screamed when he felt himself being lifted off the ground. His head hurt, but the worst pain was traveling across his lower back. It was like someone had taken a knife to it.

Squilliam felt himself crying by the time they got him on the stretcher. He wasn't sure if he unite said it, but all he could think of was his daughter begging him not to go.

_Oh, Squilla…. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. _

**Ooh…. Cliffhanger. Poor Squilliam. I will try to update soon. I thought it would be long if I attached Squidward's half of the story. Please R & R. I would like to know what you think so far. **


	2. Chapter 2 See Dada?

**Chapter 2 See Dada?**

_Squidward _

Squidward sighed and opened the door to his "humble" vehicle, more ready to go than ever. He didn't really want to go to the concert to start with, but he would just about be the only one missing it if he didn't go.

Squillia and Squilvia settled a cried-out-but-still-fussy Squilla into her car seat. He never thought the little two year old would stop crying. Since Squilvia insisted on accepting Squillia's dinner invitation, he only had Squilla to talk to while the two women chattered. He made a mental note to get Squilliam for leaving him hanging like this. Maybe _he _could come up with the embarrassing high school stories this time. Squilliam Fancyson III wasn't always so _perfect_, anyway.

"Thank you for letting Squilla and me ride along, Squidward. I wasn't looking forward to going three hours early." Squillia gave her daughter a teddy bear to keep her occupied.

"No problem." Squidward snuck a kiss on Squilvia's cheek and jumped into the driver's seat with a smirk.

Just when he was about to start the boat, the butler ran out with a cordless phone. "Mistress, wait! Please wait!"

Squillia stepped out of the car. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

The butler's breathing was rapid. The panic in his eyes was evident as he tried to find the right words. "Mistress, the Master's…umm….you might want to take this."

"What?" Squillia's voice shook as she took the phone. "H-hello? Yes, this is she…"

Squilla pointed to her, speaking in the sweetest voice they'd heard out of her all day.

"Mama…"

Squilvia turned in her seat. "Oh, she'll be right back, sweetie."

Squilla tiled her head. "Righ ba?"

Squidward snickered.

"Righ ba," he repeated.

Squilla's eyes dropped before she met his gaze again. "Dada."

Squidward sighed, but kept his voice cordial when Squilvia gave him a look. "Yeeesss…. We're going. See Dada."

"See Dada?"

"See Dada."

Squilla considered this, then put her hands on the door frame, looking for Squillia.

"Mama."

Squidward slit his eyes. "You could do this all night, couldn't you?"

When she just waited for Squilvia to repeat what she said twenty seconds ago, Squidward turned the radio on to calm his nerves. Squilla perked up and began moving her little hand to the music….almost every drop of her hand matched the beat of the music. Like a director.

Squidward realized what was happening and slouched in his seat. Could he never get a break?

Squilvia clasped her hands together. "Aaaww! Look at that, Squidward! She directs music already!"

"_Of _course she does." Squidward switched off the radio. Squilliam probably had her trained.

Squilla didn't seem to mind the absence of the music. She turned to watch Squillia again. "Mama."

Squidward sighed. "Well… At least you're talking now."

Squilvia watched Squillia in concern. "Squidward, I think something's wrong."

Squidward's eyes darted to Squillia and the butler. Squillia hung up the phone, but her hand was clamped over her mouth like she was trying to stifle cries. Squidward and Squilvia both stepped out of the boat.

Squidward stayed in place while Squilvia approached her friend. "What's the matter, Squillia?"

Squillia had to steady herself by holding onto Squilvia. Her voice cracked as she forced out the words. "The hospital just called, Squilvia. Squilliam's been in a terrible accident. Someone ran into a streetlight and…it fell…and…hit Squilliam's car while the driver was driving at full speed. They spun out of control and…the car fell over a bridge," she wailed.

Squilvia hugged her and looked to Squidward for help. His eyes popped open in alarm. "Was- Was Squilliam….still inside?"

Squillia wiped her eyes. "They said they got him out before the car fell. But…he's in critical condition. They don't know if he'll make it."

Squidward opened the backseat door. "Come on, Squillia. We'll…drive you."

Squillia hesitated. "Thank you, but… I don't have anyone to watch Squilla. Betty's out."

Squilvia walked her to the car. "Oh, don't worry, honey. I'll be happy to watch her while you take care of things at the hospital, okay?"

Squillia took a ragged breath. "Thank you…"

The drive to the hospital was one of the many worst experiences Squidward had ever had. Even back in high school, no one liked to see Squillia cry. She sniffled and wiped away silent tears as she stared out the window. Squilla had heard her father's name mentioned and glanced over, worried by her mother's condition.

She tapped her mother on the arm. When Squillia turned to face her, her eyes welled up in tears. "Dada?"

Squillia nearly burst into tears. "Oh, Squilla. Not now… I'm so sorry we didn't listen before, but… please be strong for me."

If Squilla didn't understand her mother, she gathered enough information and began to wail.

"D-a-a-a-a….da!"

Squidward pulled the boat over when Squillia burst into tears. Squilvia gave him a warning look. "Squidward?"

Squidward unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to make eye contact with Squilla.

"Squilla. Look. At. Me."

Squilla made eye contact, but cried even harder when she noticed his expression. Squidward sighed, opened the door, and got out. He opened Squilla's door and grabbed her little hands. He never did have much patience with kids, but he had to do something.

"Squilla. Do you want to see Dada?"

Squilla stopped squalling and blinked the fresh tears away. "See Dada?"

He nodded. "Do you want to _go_?"

Squilla considered this a moment, then nodded. Squidward moved on.

"Good. Then you have to _stop crying_. Understand?"

Squilla's eyes fell to the floor in a way that told him she got it.

"Okay." He picked up the teddy bear and handed it to her. "Hold Teddy until we get there."

Squilla took the bear from him and hugged it tight to her chest. He got back in the driver's seat and quickly resumed the trip to the hospital without a word. Squilvia grabbed his free hand and gave it a squeeze to say he did the right thing. Squidward's eyes popped open in surprise. He thought he would catch it from her later.

Squillia sniffed. "Oh, thank you, Squidward. You have a way with her that no one else does."

Squidward brushed it off. If he really did have a connection with Squilla, it would be the first kid that liked him. He didn't like kids. "Anything to keep the peace."

Once they got to the hospital, they were directed to the waiting room in the ICU. As they waited, Squidward wondered just how bad Squilliam's condition was. Sure, he despised Squilliam. But that didn't mean he wanted him…_gone_. What would life be like without Squlliam popping in every now and then to challenge him. As far as Squidward was concerned, he was his only means of serious competition.

Squillia startled. "Oh, no. I forgot all about the recital at the palace. King Neptune must be _furious_… Th-the band needs to know to resume without him. Squidward? Can you call the palace? I-I don't know if I can do it right now."

Squidward flinched. _He _would have _loved _to fill in for Squilliam, but the band was already rehearsed and he was underprepared. Not to mention the concert was supposed to have started already and Neptune was probably getting edgy… Yep, his place was in waiting in the hospital for now.

He took the number Squillia offered to him. "Uh, sure."

When he told the guy who answered the phone what it was in regards to, he immediately erupted with questions. "Thank Neptune! Have you heard word of Squilliam Fancyson? He was expected to make an appearance hours ago…"

Squidward narrowed his eyes. "He was in an accident. He is in critical condition and will not be able to attend."

The guy on the other line clamed up. "Oh, how…unfortunate."

"The band is still prepared to play. Tell them to resume without Squilliam."

The guy seemed relieved. "I'll let the King know. Thank you for sending word and please send kind regards to the Fancyson family."

Squidward hung up the phone and returned to the waiting room. They all kept Squilla occupied until the doctor came into the waiting room. "Mrs. Fancyson?"

Squillia held up a hand for him to come over. "Here, sir. Please…how is he?"

The doctor walked over with a grave expression and cut right to the chase as gently as possible.

"It seems your husband has been through quite a shock. Remarkably, he has no broken bones. He took quite a blow to the head, but it didn't interfere with the functioning of the brain. However, he suffered severe damage internally. As of right now, I'm afraid Master Fancyson is in 100 percent kidney failure."

Squilia gasped. If it weren't for them being there to steady her, she might have fallen over. Squidward helped Squilvia lower her into a chair. She sniffed and spoke through her tears.

"But… You can give him another kidney…right? He won't die….right?"

The doctor flipped through his charts. "We are looking into every possibility, Mrs. Fancyson. But…Master Fancyson has a rare blood type that is difficult to match. We have a select number of organ donors who match this blood type, but the drawback is that it has to come from another cephalopod in order for it to function properly. The odds that we'll find a match are…very slim at the moment. I'm sorry."

Squillia sobbed. "How- How long do we have? Wh-what about mine?"

The doctor put the chart under his arm. "We might have anywhere from a few days to a week or so, depending on the rate that he…regresses. And we'll be happy to test anyone who is willing to donate. But if there is no blood match, I'm afraid we cannot do the procedure."

Squillia wiped away her tears. "Can I see him?"

"We'll let you know when he is allowed to have visitors. The nurse will come when he shows signs of conciousness. I'm sorry."

When the doctor walked away, they sat there in silence while Squillia tried not to break down in front of her daughter. When Squidward sensed that she wasn't going to succeed, he took Squilla to look out the window. As she pointed out things she recognized, he tried to process the news. Squilliam Fancyson couldn't just…die. He had a rival, fans, and a family.

"You can't just leave everyone hanging like this, Squilliam Fancyson," he muttered under his breath.

_Squilliam_

He woke up for the second time since they brought him in, mind slowly closing around what the doctor had said within the first five minutes he was awake. All he got was…there was a good chance he was dying. He winced when the movement necessary to turn his head hurt and slowly opened his eyes.

He thought he saw a familiar figure sitting near him. He blinked to clear his vision and squinted to focus on the figure. Squillia was sitting by his bedside, sniffing as she stared out the window.

He moved the annoying oxygen mask. "Squillia…." His voiced sounded like sandpaper.

The love of his life startled and instantly knelt beside him. "Squilliam! I'm so glad you're awake."

He reached out whatever hand wasn't confined to IVs and stroked her face when she sobbed. "Ssshhh…."

She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her cheek. He brought the oxygen mask to his mouth and took a few breaths before lowering it again. "Have they…found a match?"

Squillia's face crumpled. "Nooo…. A few friends and family have been tested, but…no one's a match, Squilliam, I… even I'm not a match. I'm so sorry, Squilliam."

Squilliam drew in a ragged breath and tried to accept the news while comforting his wife.

"Squillia, dear… It's alright, I…" His eyes popped open when he remembered their daughter crying for him to stay. "Squilla?"

Squillia half smiled. "Squidward and Squilvia are keeping her in the waiting room."

Squilliam sighed. "Is she crying?"

"Sometimes, but…Squidward usually talks her out of it. I think he's heard enough."

He tried to smile. "I want to see her and tell her I'm sorry. She-she tried to tell me and I didn't listen… I should've tried harder to understand what she was trying to say…."

Squillia squeezed his hand. "It's not your fault, dear. We didn't know… No one did. I'll see what I can do the next time you're awake, okay?"

Squilliam smiled and held her hand as the darkness threatened to close in around him. He tried to fight it, but it got the better of him. He sighed and surrendered to the darkness.

_Squidward _

He could practically feel the bags pulling under his eyes as he drove a sleeping Squilla and Squilvia back to the hospital…

His protests made no difference when Squillia asked if they could keep the baby so she could stay with Squilliam throughout the night. He was regretting agreeing to let Squilvia and Squilla sleep in his guest room instead of taking them back to Squilvia's. The idea was to sleep as late as possible before returning to the hospital, but after waking up to the sound of Squilla's cries for the fifth time, he was questioning his decision. He decided to get up and check to see how Squilvia was holding up. He found her sitting on the couch with Squilla clinging to her.

The two of them could only glance at one another when Squilla only cried one word.

"Da….da!"

Squilvia patted her back. "She didn't get to see him, Squidward."

Eventually, at 3:30 am in the morning, they both gave up on sleep. Squidward made the coffee, _lots _of coffee, and tried putting in an old movie that he thought Squilla might watch. The child actually watched the movie for a while before drifting back into sleep. The last thing Squidward remembered was dozing off at the opposite end of the sofa from Squilvia. That morning, they awoke to the lovely sound of Squilla's cries.

Squilvia and Squidward squinted at the clock. 7 am. Still a little too early. Squilvia sighed and patted her little back.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. We're going."

SpongeBob was standing in front of him when he finished rubbing his eyes. Squidward's eyes popped open in panic. The last thing he was in the mood for was a visit from SpongeBob.

When Squilvia just shrugged, he slapped his head and opened the door.

"GET OUT!"

He didn't notice SpongeBob had _kindly _brought Gary along until the snail meowed gratefully and proceeded to head out the door.

SpongeBob gasped. "Gary the Snail, you come back here right this minute."

Squidward shrieked and shook his head. "No! No no no no! Gary goes!"

SpongeBob didn't get the hint. "Squidward, I've heard crying all night. We wanted to see what's going o- Oh! What a cute baby! Squidward, I didn't know you had a daughter! How beauti-"

Squidward gasped at the very assumption. He slapped his hand to SpongeBob's mouth to keep him from talking.

"Nooo, SpongeBob! I do not have children. This is Squilliam's daughter and, as you can see, she is in enough distress. So, unless you are good at getting babies to stop crying, get-"

His eyes popped open when he noticed Squilla sound asleep in SpongeBob's arms. The silence in the house was beautiful.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying, Squidward?"

Squidward grinned and pulled up a chair. "I said make yourself at home."

Gary narrowed his eyes. "Meow…"

Squidward knew Gary enough to figure out what he was trying to say.

"Oh, go…lay by the fire or something, Gary."

He stomped over to the sofa and passed out beside a snoozing Squilvia.

"Squidward! Wake up. We're late."

"Wha….?"

Squidward rubbed his head and glanced at the clock. 10:30 am….what was the big deal? Only thirty minutes late for visiting hours.

He and Squilvia quickly got ready.

He scooped a still snoozing Squilla out of SponeBob's arms as Squilvia gathered her things. So he let SpongeBob keep Squilla a few hours. What Squilliam didn't know wouldn't hurt him….

He pulled into the closest parking space and held Squilla's bag while Squilvia gave her back to her mother. They could tell by the look in Squillia's eyes that Squilliam was getting worse.

"Hey, baby." She kissed Squilla's forehead when Squilvia handed her over.

Squilla immediately reached for her. "Dada!"

"We're going now, sweetheart. I'm sorry."

Squidward raised an eyebrow. "You can take her back?"

Squillia patted her daughter's back. "I had to make arrangements, but Squilliam is waking up. He wanted to see Squilla."

Squilvia grabbed Squidward's hand. "Did you find a match for him?"

Squillia shook her head. "No. Nothing. I'll be right back. Thanks for watching her."

Squidward put an arm around his girlfriend as they watched Squilla's wave over her mother's shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3: Last Requests

**Chapter 3 Last Requests**

_Squilliam Fancyson_

"Mr. Fancyson… Mr. Fancyson."

Squilliam awoke to the sound of a nurse's voice. He pried his eyes open to find a cup of something being shoved in his face. He sighed and tried to flinch away. Everything hurt. Everything felt swollen beyond his small proportions.

"Mr. Fancyson, we're glad to see to you awake. Would you like some water?"

Squilliam used what little strength he could feel to push it away. The furious words mustering in his mind didn't quite make it to his lips, so he kept his mouth shut. Sudden nausea made itself known as he turned his head to the side.

The nurse kept on. "Taking a sip of water might help, Mr. Fancyson."

When he found the straw back in front of his face, he jerked his head to the opposite side and forced out words.

"Didn't you get the hint? Get that out of my face until I can wake up, kelp for brains! Have you no decency?"

The sounds of a male's chuckle surprised him. "Yep, he's awake. It's nice to see a patient fuss every now and then, don't you think, Anne?"

The nurse handed the doctor the cup of water. "Sure."

Once again, the doctor offered him the straw. "It will help a lot, Mr. Fancyson. You want to see your family, don't you? Your wife has your daughter outside. But we have to make sure you're up to it."

Squilliam took a small sip and pulled away. "Now send them in."

"Do you want us to try to sit you up a little?"

Squilliam considered this. "Yes… I want to hold my daughter."

The doctor nodded. "Nurse?"

The nurse came forward and pressed the button that raised the bed. "Let me know when you need me to stop, Mr. Fancyson."

Squilliam closed his eyes when he felt his world start to turn upright. He winced when a sharp pain shot through his lower back. The doctor intervened because he couldn't.

"Hold it, nurse."

Squilliam moaned as he tried to get used to the new position by relaxing his back.

The doctor waited a moment before speaking. "How do you feel?"

Squilliam lurched forward when a sudden wave of nausea hit. The nurse barely got the pan to him in time. He cried in pain when the sudden movement caused agony in his body. The doctor pushed him back against the pillows.

"Are you sure you feel like doing this, Mr. Fancyson?"

"Y-yes. J-just don't t…tell my wife…." he panted.

The doctor nodded. When Squilliam was comfortable enough to see his family, the doctor called them in. An exhausted Squillia carried his daughter into the room. Little Squilla perked up at the sight of him and instantly reached out for him.

"Dada!" she cried.

Hearing her little cries gave him fierce determination. He turned to Nurse Anne.

"Please, raise me up a little more."

"Mr. Fancyson, I-"

"Do it," he whispered.

Squillia shifted Squilla around. "Squilliam, sweetheart…"

He sighed. "Bring her here, Squillia, dear. It's okay."

Squillia walked over his bedside and waited for the nurse to elevate his bed.

"Enough, thank you." Squilliam winced through the pain and took his daughter in his arms. Squilla noticed his pain. She raised onto her knees and reached across him, attempting to push the nurses' hands away from the bedrail.

"No," she whined.

Squilliam smiled when Squillia gasped and slapped at their daughter's hands.

"Squilla Fancyson! Behave yourself!"

Squilla whimpered and patted the nurse's hands. Nurse Anne giggled and took her little hands. "She don't want me making you move," she snickered to him.

Squilliam smiled and ran a hand through her hair. Squilla forgot her grief and instantly turned her attention back to him. She crawled into his arms and gave him a gentle hug.

"Dada," she cooed in the sweetest little voice.

Squilliam took her in his arms with a smile.

"Hi, sweetie. I'm sorry it's been so long. Dada should've listened."

His heart nearly broke when Squilla didn't even look up. She clung to him with tears spilling down her little cheeks.

"Dada," she squeaked.

He shared a quick glance of concern with Squillia and lifted his daughter's little chin so he could look into her eyes.

"Dada's here, Squilla. Don't cry."

He noticed Squillia's eyes misting over when their daughter just burst into tears. He grew even more concerned when he realized that she wasn't just crying, she was mourning for something. He could tell she sensed something was wrong in her cries. Squilliam ignored the pain and pulled her into his lap the rest of the way. He just patted her back and let her cry.

He looked for something that would make her happy, determined to stay awake until he saw her smile. An idea popped into his mind when he heard the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. He lifted Squilla's little chin and pressed a finger to his lips. "Ssshhh."

She stopped crying long enough for him to move his free hand along with the rhythm of the monitor. Squilla sniffed and caught on instantly. She began directing the sound of the monitor uncertainly, just as they practiced on some nights when he played the clarinet for her. Squilliam smiled and poked her in the side where she was most ticklish. She cackled and fell back holding her sides.

Squilliam glanced at Squillia with a smirk, and grabbed her hand when he saw she was smiling too. Squilla crawled back to the head of the bed and rested her head on his side.

"Dada," she cooed.

Squilliam cradled her head in one hand and pulled Squillia to him with the other. They kissed a few times before she drew back and stroked his face with her hand. She managed a small, whispering laugh and crawled into bed with them, gently resting her head on his chest. Nurse Anne smiled when he glanced at her and exited the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

When he was sure Squilla was sleeping, he looked down at Squillia.

"Thank you," he whispered.

She sat upright so she could look into his eyes. "Of course, dear."

He cradled her cheek when fresh tears spilled from her eyes. "Squillia, sweetheart…"

"What are we going to do?" she wailed.

Squilliam kissed her hand. "If anything happens, out affairs are already set for you and Squilla. You know that."

When she just cried harder, he lifted her chin with a puzzled expression. "Squillia, what _is it_, sweetheart?"

Squillia sniffled. "I'm sorry, I…"

He shook his head. "No, sweetheart. Talk to me. What's the matter?"

Squillia sighed. "It's not our affairs, Squilliam. I…was going to tell you after the recital…"

"Tell me what?"

Squillia's amber eyes melted into his. "We- We were going to have another baby, Squilliam."

Squilliam's world seemed to spin. If that heart monitor didn't go crazy for a split second, he heard things. Initially, he would have gradually asked Squillia how it even happened when they were trying to prevent it, but he thought better of it and forced a shaky smile.

"That's…wonderful….Squillia…."

"I was happy at first, but now I-"

Squilliam took her hand when she broke down into sobs.

"Why ever not, Squillia? I mean, maybe we'll have Squilliam Fancyson IV this time, eh?"

That made it worse.

"Yes, but… I want him to know his father," she wailed.

For once, Squilliam had nothing to say. He pulled her to his chest and ran his hand through her hair until she fell asleep, using his last few moments of consciousness to think things through. Suddenly, he realized there was only one person left to see that might help.

…

He roused to the sound of a deeper, familiar voice.

"And you're sure she can't sleep here with him for the night, right?"

Squidward! Squilliam struggled to pry his eyes open. All he could tell was that the room was now dark. That meant he didn't have much time. Squilla was still curled him beside him, but Squillia wasn't there.

"Squidward," Squilvia scolded.

"Squidward, if it's too much trouble, I-"

"No, no. Squillia, it's just- I hate to take her away. I mean, she's going to be devastated when she wakes up."

Squilliam tried to suggest something, but winced when the slightest move caused worse pain than before. He was already getting worse. He tried once again to force his eyes to open.

He could only hear faint murmurs in the background now. No! He couldn't lose it!

Squidward's voice seemed closer. He felt the bed rustle under him. "Okay…I'll just try to lift her without waking her, and…"

"Wait!" Squilliam forced his eyes to pop open as he lunged forward. Squidward's eyes popped open in alarm when Squilliam grabbed his arm.

He kept a tight hold on Squidward's arm as he panted his request. "Please…I need….to talk to Squidward….alone…..for a moment."

Squidward twitched. "Wait, wh-wh-wh-what?"

The nurse's eyes softened. "Make it quick."

Squillia and Squilvia searched his face in confusion.

"Don't worry, Squillia, dear. He'll be back out in a moment."

They still didn't understand, but went ahead and left Squidward in the room with him. Squilliam let go of his arch rival's arm.

"Squidward, I need you to do something for me," he panted.

Squidward's eyes were still wide, unblinking, like he still wasn't registering what was happening. Squilliam sighed and just decided to continue and hope his words registered at some point.

"Squidward, I need you and Squilvia to take care of Squillia and Squilla for me. Squilla has the talent of directing, I think, so her musical instruction is already lined up. Can you…make sure she gets it?"

Squidward still didn't blink. "You mean…teach her?"

Squilliam's eyes popped open in alarm at the very thought of Squidward Tentacles "teaching" his daughter. He sat bolt upright in bed before he knew what he was doing.

"_No_, idiot! I meant make she's tau- Aaahh!" He stiffened when a sharp pain stabbed him in the back.

Squidward grabbed his arm and pushed him back against the pillows. "Alright, alright! I'll make sure if anything happens."

Squilliam swallowed to keep the nausea from taking over. "Not 'if.' Squidward, there are no matches."

Squidward spread his hands desperately. "There's gotta be _something_…"

Squilliam felt the blackness closing in around him. "Squidward, please…just…promise. I'll pay you anything…."

Squidward's expression softened. "Okay, okay…"

"And make sure…to keep a check on Squillia…at least until she has the baby…."

Squidward's eye twitched. "Another…baby….?"

Squilliam nodded, his eyes growing heavier every second. "See if…you can help Squillia….find….his talent…"

Squidward's expression was blank again. "_He_?"

"Squidward!"

"Okay! Don't get your hospital gown in a wad."

Squilliam rested back against the pillows in relief. "Thank you…thank you…."

Squidward's eyes darted to the corner. Squilliam could just make out a cold sweat starting to come over him. "I'll promise, but…don't give up too soon, okay?"

Squilliam turned his head to look at his sleeping daughter. "Squidward, wake up so she can say bye to me."

"WHAT? No!" Squidward ran along to the edge of the bed to block him from touching her. He jabbed a finger in Squilliam's face as he spoke. Squilliam smirked in amusement as he yelled. It looked like Squidward hadn't had much luck with Squilla, either.

"Hold. It. Right. There. Do you know _how long _we've been awake listening to her _cry_? There's _no way _I'm waking her up just so you can tell her 'bye.''

Squidward crossed his arms decisively. Squilliam, lacking the energy to really argue with him, turned to persuasion.

"You'll regret it if you don't."

Squidward shook his head. "I don't think so."

"You will. When she wakes up and sees she's somewhere else without me, she'll cry until the sun comes up. If you wake her up now so she can see she's leaving, she'll….understand."

Squidward opened his eyes and sighed. "How do you know?"

Squilliam cocked his eyebrow. "Because I know my daughter. And I don't want her to leave, knowing she's crying."

Squidward sighed, apparently deciding it was worth a shot. His hand shook as he roused Squilla awake. Squilla was turned toward him when she woke up, so Squilliam couldn't see her face when she sat up. As soon as she saw Squidward, she voiced her opinion.

"Dada!" she wailed.

"Right here." Squidward turned her around so she could see him.

As soon as she saw he was still there, she crawled over and hugged his chest.

"Dada," she cooed.

"Hello, Squilla." Squilliam ran a hand over her head as she looked around them room.

She turned back to him for answers when she didn't find Squillia. "Mama?"

Squilliam smiled at the sound of her sweet little voice. "Outside, sweetheart."

"Ow-sigh?"

Squilliam nodded. "You have to go bye-bye with Squidward, so you can see Mama."

Her little eyes welled with tears. "Bye-bye?"

"Bye-bye."

Squilla threw herself across his chest. "Nooo," she whined.

"Squilla, squilla…" Squilliam cupped her face in his hands so she would look up at him. "See Mama."

Squilla wiped at her eyes. "Mama."

Squilliam held back tears as he nodded. "Yeah, I'll be here tomorrow."

"Righ here?" Squilla asked.

"Yes, right here. Night night, Squilla. Go with Squidward, okay?"

"Okay," Squilla said as she reluctantly reached up for Squidward.

Squidward went with it and lifted her in his arms. He briefly shared a knowing glance with Squilliam and began walking to the door. Squilla waved her little hand at him over his shoulder.

"Nigh nigh, Dada."

Squilliam surrendered to the blackness as he waved his hand in the air.

_Squidward Tentacles_

Squilla was on her best behavior as he carried her through the halls of the hospital. In fact, she was too quiet. Limp. Squidward tried to glance over his shoulder to get a look at her face. Squilvia saw his concern.

"She's awake, Squidward. Her eyes are open," she assured.

"What's she doing?" he asked.

"She's just…laying there. It's like she's…tired."

"Sad, I think."

Squidward's eyes opened wide when he spotted Squilliam's doctor pass them in the hallway. He quickly passed Squilla over to Squilvia.

"Squilvia, wait here with her for a minute. I'll be right back."

Squilvia took the toddler with a puzzled expression. "Squidward…?" she called after him.

Squidward was already gone. He ran through the main hall, looking left and right until he spotted the doctor at the end of another hall. He turned the corner and ran at full speed to catch up with him.

"Doc, wait!"

He stopped to catch his breath when the doctor turned around.

"I want…to know…my blood type…" he panted.

The doctor scratched his head. Apparently, Squidward had been in the hospital so many times he knew him by name. "Well, Mr. Tentacles, we usually don't run that test unless there's a problem-"

"I want to know if my blood type is the same as Squilliam Fancyson's?"

That made the doctor turn all the way around. "Oh. Are you…considering donating?"

Squidward froze. "I don't know yet…"

The doctor sighed like he understood. "Be here first thing in the morning."

….

Squidward sat by the fire, with Squilla still clinging to him. She had not made a sound since they got home. Squilvia went to sleep as soon as she got to the couch. He got more sleep than she did the night before.

It was a cold night outside, and he had wrapped a blanket around Squilla as soon as he noticed she was cold. He pulled the blanket around her when it fell off again. Concern for the toddler overwhelmed his desire to sleep. She didn't seem to care if she was warm or not. She just…laid there with her head resting on his shoulder. She didn't take anything to eat, drink, play with...didn't talk back. She just sat still, staring at nothing.

Squidward sighed and rubbed her back. "You're not going to go to sleep, are you?"

The only response he got was a slight movement in her eyes. He sighed and reluctantly picked up the phone and dialed next door, hoping SpongeBob was still awake.

It rang several times before he heard someone pick up.

"Meow?"

Squidward's heart sank to the bottom of his chest. SpongeBob was the only guy he knew who let his pet answer the phone. Annoyance welled up inside him already. _Oh, for the love of…_

He swallowed his angry words. "Hello… Gary?"

"Meow…."

_Okay… _He didn't understand very much snail talk. And the few conversations he and Gary had were awkward.

"Gary, is SpongeBob home? If he is I really need to speak to him…"

"Meow?"

He was pretty sure that meant something along the lines of "Why?"

"You mean… Why?"

"Meow-Row."

"Because….because…." He sighed. "We've got Squilla over here again and…she's….been very sad since we left the hospital. You and SpongeBob are the only ones I know of that might get her to respond…."

There was a slight hesitation on the other end.

"Meow-Row. Meow. Meow. Meow."

He hoped that meant "Hold on."

"Thank you."

"Meow."

He heard a rustling noise as Gary (somehow) put down the phone and went to get SpongeBob. At last, he heard the faint sound of Gary explaining the situation to SpongeBob in the background.

"Meow."

SponeBob's voice. "Say what?"

"Meow!"

"Oh, my goodness. The poor thing!"

"Meow Row…Meow meow meow meow."

"Oh!"

Squidward perked up when he heard a rustling sound on the other end.

"Don'tworrySquidwardGaryexplainedeverythingwe'llbe rightover!"

_Click. _He didn't even have time to put down the phone before he heard a knock at the door. SpongeBob could at least allow him five minutes. He sighed and opened the door for SpongeBob and Gary.

SpongeBob immediately look up at Squilla. "Oh, you poor thing."

"Thanks you for coming," Squidward said sarcastically as he closed the door behind them.

"No problem, Squidward."

SpongeBob tried taking one of Squilla's little hands. "Hi, Squilla. Come on, let me see that smile," he cooed.

Squilla didn't even lift her head until Gary meowed. She bent over to get a look at the source and pointed at the snail, looking to Squidward for answers. She had probably never seen a snail since Squilliam didn't like pets any more than he did.

Squidward hoisted her up. "It's a snail. His name's Gary."

Squilla put a hand over her mouth thoughtfully.

"Gawy…" she cooed quietly.

"She speaks at last."

Squidward spread a blanket in front of the fire and sat Squilla down on it. She watched uncertainly as Gary approached and meowed a greeting. Squilla reached up for Squidward, instantly beginning to cry.

Squidward knelt down beside her instead of picking her up. "No, no, no… Don't be afraid. Look. You pet him. See?"

Squilla sniffled and watched as Squidward reached out to pet Gary.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," he mumbled.

He drew his hand back when Gary eyeballed his hand mischievously.

"Do NOT bite me."

Gary's innocent expression didn't change. It was no secret that he and Squidward didn't click. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

Squidward reached out and gradually stroked the oozing, slimy snail. He wasn't nearly as slimy as he usually was. Apparently, he could choose how much slime he wanted to ooze. Squidward made a mental note to remember that.

Squilla giggled softly when Gary began to purr. Squidward took her hand and helped her pet Gary. "See? He won't hurt you."

He stood up when Squilla laughed and began petting Gary on her own. Eventually she gave his shell a hug.

"Gawy…"

Gary smiled. "Meow."

SpongeBob was nearly in tears. "So beautiful," he sniffled, "Squidward, I…I never thought I would see you pet Gary."

Squidward rolled his eyes at the little sponge's sensitivity. "There's a first time for everything. Just…make yourself at home."

SpongeBob put his hands on his hips with a grin. "Gladly, Squidward. Hm… I wonder if I can find a movie to keep us occupied in here…"

Squidward felt his eyes drooping as soon as he seated himself on the other end of the sofa where Squilvia was sleeping. "Oh, anything you want to watch, SpongeBob," he said impatiently.

He woke with a start. It was still dark and the movie was still playing. SpongeBob was snoozing in a chair and Squilla was curled up next to Gary on the pallet. The room was full of various types of snores. Squidward covered Squilla with a warm blanket and eased back down on the couch. Squilvia looked a little crowded, so he took her in his arms and leaned against the arm of the sofa.

Squilvia startled and looked around the room. "What's…"

"Gary got Squilla to go to sleep," he whispered.

Squilvia left it alone and rested her head on his chest. "What're you going to do, Squidward?" she asked sleepily.

He hadn't been fooling anybody when he ran after the doctor. Squidward sighed as he shrugged. He looked down at Squilla. She was too young to be losing a father.

Squidward kissed the top of Squilvia's head. "We'll know tomorrow."

Squilvia threw her arms around him as she went back to sleep. Suddenly, he knew what his decision might be if he could help it.

**Oh, no! What's Squidward going to do? Hope you're enjoying it. Next chapter should be the last one **

**: )**


	4. Chapter 4: Sea Bliss

**Hey guys. Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I've been working on several things at once. Anyway, thanks to those of you who have followed and reviewed. You guys have kept me going. This was supposed to be the end, but I added more so...stay tune for an epilogue. We'll see more Squidward there! **

**Chapter 4 Sea Bliss**

_Squidward Tentacles_

The doctor lowered his clipboard in disbelief. "Well, Mr. Tentacles, it seems your blood type is the same as Squilliam's. If you wish to donate, I would advise we begin as soon as possible. Master Fancyson is in grave condi- Mr. Tentacles?"

Squidward walked away from the room in a trance, trying to wrap his mind around the news. He peeked in the waiting room, where Squilvia was keeping Squilla. Squilvia tried getting the toddler to lift her head, but Squilla just lowered her chin sadly and rested her head back on Squilvia's shoulder. The doctors had refused to allow her to go back today.

He quickly passed the waiting room and stopped when he got to Squilliam's door. Squilliam looked worse than ever. He lay very still with several more machines hooked up to him, depending on the oxygen mask for breath. His legs seemed a little swollen, and he was a paler blue than usual.

Squillia reached up to stroke his face. When he didn't respond, she sniffed and rested her head on his chest. Squidward flinched and was just about to leave when Squillia bumped into him on her way out.

"Squidward, I-" She quickly wiped away a tear. "I was just going to see Squilla. Do you want to sit with Squilliam?"

Squidward broke eye contact. She still didn't know that he had asked to be tested. "Uh, yeah. I mean, I can."

Squillia pulled her sweater tighter around her shoulders and crossed her arms. "Well, take as long as you need…"

"Thanks." He walked into the room, cracked the door, and lowered himself onto the foot of the bed, examining Squilliam's face all the while.

"Why should I _ever _think about doing this for _you_, Squilliam Fancyson? You've done nothing but humiliate me, rub fame in my face…" he trailed off when Squilliam's expression didn't change. For once, the other cephalopod was unresponsive. And unable to make a comeback that would bring him down.

Squidward sighed and drew his knees to his chest. "Then again, I've done nothing but…humiliate….and rub fame in your face when I had it…too….."

The silence in the room was almost deafening. The only sounds were the beeping machines, and the oxygen machine. The two just sat there motionless until the doctor opened the door.

The poor guy blinked. "Mr. Tentacles?"

"I'll do it," Squidward answered quietly.

The doctor seemed taken aback. "Wonderful! But we need to start as soon as possible. I took the liberty of getting the paperwork ready for you to sign."

Squidward decided not to even try to understand the logic behind his decision. "Fine… Just let me… talk to…. Squilvia."

He ignored the doctor's funny look when he jabbed a tentacle in Squilliam's direction as he walked out. "You _owe _me for this, Squilliam Fancyson!"

…

"Squidward! Are you sure?"

He could see the fear in Squilvia's eyes when she took his hands.

"Don't make me change my mind," he sighed.

"Oh, honey, you're doing Squilliam the ultimate favor. But... There are risks…"

"I know."

"Okay."

Squidward took her in his arms when there was nothing left to say. "You'll be there when I wake up, right?"

"Oh, you know I will, sweetheart."

Squillia burst through the door to his room with Squilla in one arm. "Squidward…? What's going on?"

Squidward sighed and let go of Squilvia. "You were looking for a match for Squilliam, and…well, I'm a match. I decided to donate."

Squillia gasped and covered her mouth to suppress a sob. She knew her husband had put Squidward through a lot, and she probably thought the same way as Squidward. There was no need to say it.

"Really...?" she gasped.

"Yeah."

Squillia slowly stepped forward and hugged him with her free arm. "Thank you," she sobbed.

Squidward shared a smile with Squilvia as he hugged her back. Maybe he could look at this as repaying Squillia for all those fights she had with Squilliam in high school over picking on him.

"Don't mention it."

….

_Squilliam Fancyson_

Squilliam was living a nightmare all over again. He watched in horror, helplessly tossed around in the car as it skidded and crashed into a bridge. The last thing he saw was the side of the bridge coming towards him before the side of his head slammed into the car door. But, unlike last time, he didn't feel it. He just felt senseless for a moment, then felt himself being pulled from the car just before it toppled off the bridge.

This time, when he should have been screaming from the pain of the policeman dragging him away from the falling car. But he felt detached. At this point, he wasn't sure _what _he was or _how_ he was separated from himself, but now he standing in front of the car, watching from a different angle.

Every policeman, firefighter, and able bodied citizen (aside from the ones tending to him) was struggling against the limo, trying to keep it from toppling off the bridge. Squilliam even spotted one young officer wedged between the car and the edge of the bridge, in danger of falling off the edge himself.

"_Don't worry about it!" _he shouted. _"It's just a limo! I can get another one…"_

No one heard him. When Squilliam took a few steps closer, he spotted his old driver still unconscious in the front seat. The young policeman balancing between the limo and the treacherous drop off was trying to rescue him.

Squilliam froze. _The driver! _Ed. The one who put up with his constant scolding. The one who was there to shuffle them from place to place for years without complaint. Old Ed. He wasn't one to talk much. He'd lost his family years ago, and had been with the Fancysons ever since Squilliam was a teenager. Once, when Squilliam fought with his father, Ed drove him to the limits of Bikini Bottom so he could run away, turned off the car, and waited silently while Squilliam sat there thinking. He cleared his throat when Squilliam never got out of the car and drove him back home.

Squilliam's parents were furious when he got home. His father grasped his arm before he could step out of the car.

"Squilliam! Where have you been?!"

Ed shocked everyone, speaking so coolly it was impossible not to believe him. "Master Fancyson needed new scenery as inspiration for a song. I was only driving him to the other side of town."

Eventually, his father let go of his arm. "Get back inside."

The policeman couldn't reach Old Ed. "He's stuck, sir!"

A cracking sound made Squilliam flinch. Another policeman waved the younger one back. "Get out of there!"

When the young policeman just took one more sad look at Ed, another of his fellow officers pulled him away by the arm. Just as the car toppled off the bridge.

Squilliam was horrified. _"Noooo!" _

He'd been so wrapped up in his own suffering, he'd never once asked about the old driver.

Silence fell over the crowd. Suddenly, everything melted away. Squilliam felt himself falling. Into nothingness. When he opened his eyes again, he was in his old high school band room. Again, he was dissociated, looking at his teenage self. He was section leader that year. And Squidward was in his clarinet section.

Squilliam shivered and remained where he was. He didn't like being dissociated. It made him feel like the crazy guy in that movie he took Squillia to see when they were dating. "Hide and Sea."

He watched his teen-age self stop the whole section. "Stop! Stop! Squidward! The note is A. Not D. A. Get it right, nitwit!"

He never once noticed how Squidward's amber eyes moistened as he glance down at his clarinet, then back up at Squilliam. "But I _am _playing A…"

"No you're not! And the whole section is going to play until you _get it right_! So how about it, Squidward? How long are you going to make them play before you quit?"

Young Squidward ran out when all the other section members chimed in with their own taunts. Squilliam watched himself give the swinging door a triumphant smirk and resume the practice as if nothing had happened.

He already knew the snarky remarks they'd said before, so he decided to follow Squidward instead. He got distracted by the sight of young Squillia , the captain of the flag team, teaching her new girls a toss. Some of the girls were already sitting down because they had mastered the toss. The rest were still learning.

Squillia noticed Squidward quickly disappearing behind the band room just as she finished demonstrating a beautiful toss. She asked her co-captain to take over and quietly followed Squidward. Squilliam followed her.

Squillia peeked around the corner. Squidward had his back to them, hugging his knees to his chest. Squillia quietly made herself known.

"Squidward… Are you okay…?"

Squidward startled and quickly wiped his eyes with his forearm. "Squillia! Y-yeah… I'm… fine."

Squillia sighed and gradually sat down beside him. "Was it Squilliam?" she asked.

Squilliam stepped forward, almost daring Squidward to say something. Instead, Squidward was quiet for a few seconds.

"I'm a terrible clarinet player. Maybe I should just give up and…"

"I don't think so," Squillia said quietly, "you're clarinet playing is…unique. If it's what you want to do."

Squidward sighed. "Thanks."

Squillia stood up, but stopped when she started to walk away. "Don't let Squilliam get to you. It's just…hard to accept anything different when you're expected to be perfect all the time."

Squilliam followed Squillia when she dismissed the girls and walked up to him after rehearsal. He watched himself flinch when she slapped him on the shoulder as he gathered his things.

"Squillia…" His younger self looked around the still-crowded band room in shock. "What…"

"We need to talk. _Now._"

He watched as he and Squillia walked outside and gradually got in a fight when Squillia stated that if he picked on Squidward again, they were done. When he found out Squillia knew, he was infuriated with both her and Squidward. Their first fight ended with him saying, "Fine. But don't expect a ride home from me."

Squilliam scolded himself for that moment. At his current age, this seemed like the lowest thing a guy could do. He smirked when younger Squillia said she would rather walk and got moving. He decided to follow her, wishing he could help her carry her flags and books as she cut across the football field to take the shortcut home.

He flinched when she stepped in a pothole and tripped, dropping everything she had in her hands. Being Squillia, she winced and quickly pushed herself to her feet before anyone noticed. Squilliam stopped when he noticed her limping.

"_Squillia…sweetheart, I'm so sorry…" _he whispered. Of course, she didn't hear him. All at once, frustration got the better of him.

"_Why is this happening to me?!" _he screamed.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn't on a deserted football team anymore. He was in his own home. At his own kitchen table. He sighed in relief, looked to his left, and flinched when he spotted his present self and a very expectant Squillia sitting at the table. He remembered exactly what argument they were in before his hearing even came into focus. He saw himself rise to his feet in anger.

"….then _why _do you even _ask_?" he was yelling at Squillia.

Squillia seemed shocked. "Squilliam! It's the last ultrasound before the baby is due… I- I just thought-"

"Thought _what_?!" he yelled. "You didn't do any thinking at all, Squillia! Did you even stop and ask if I even _wanted _a baby? And what about my music career, Squillia? How am I supposed to support our lifestyle when I can't even make a decent piece? I've done my part. Made a room, paid the medical bills…and now you ask if I can 'take time,' cancel all my meetings, just to…."

Squillia burst into tears. "Okay, I just asked, Squilliam! I just asked…" she wailed.

He watched himself come to a cold-hearted stop to wait for Squillia to stop crying. His heart skipped a beat when Molly, the maid he'd had arrested when she nearly killed Squilla by slipping poison into her bottles, brought food to their table. For the first time, he noticed a cold look in her eyes.

"_Get out of my house!" _he snapped. He tried flinging one of the expensive crystal pieces at her as she passed, but his tentacle when right through it. Molly placed Squillia's plate in front of her as she dried her tears.

He watched himself glare at her when she hesitated to serve him.

"Finish, Molly!" he snapped.

Molly quietly sat his plate in front of him and left the room. He watched himself toss his napkin on the table and walk away, leaving the food untouched.

Suddenly, he was back in his own body (or at least not dissociated anymore), but this time he was in a memory he had with Squilla. Playing with her in the piano room, only days before the accident. She crawled into his lap.

"Dada!" she cooed.

Squilliam gasped and, unlike the day of the memory where he'd been too busy to spend as much time as he wanted to with her, hugged her tight to his chest. She might be an apparition, but she was also the first person he'd been able to connect with. For the millionth time, he couldn't believe that he didn't want Squilla at first. Couldn't believe that he wasn't even there when she was born.

"Oh, Squilla…" he whispered, kissing her forehead.

Squilla tilted her head, then turned her attention to the piano and touched one of the keys before looking back at him.

"Dada."

Squilliam smiled and softly touched one of the high keys. He stroked Squilla's head when she moved her little arm in rhythm with the tune and played again. After a while, he noticed that the music was fading away. The room was fading away. Squilla was fading away.

"N-No…"

Holding on tighter didn't help. Soon, Squilla was gone and there was nothing but darkness? Was he dead? Was this all there was?

Suddenly, from somewhere in the darkness, voices began to whisper at him on all sides. Not just normal voices. Eerie voices he didn't recognize. Getting dangerously close. Squilliam spun around in all directions, then fell to his knees and shielded his face because he couldn't take it anymore. He'd never been so frightened in his….life? They were going to consume him.

He looked up when a dreadful voice sounded all too familiar. His former head housekeeper, old Molly, had whispered to him. Squilliam stood because he couldn't see her. All her could hear was her haunting whispers circling him.

"_You deserve nothing you have….nothing should ever be yours…..just like your father…..your child….just like you….."_

The very mention of Squilla gave him enough courage to make noise.

"Stop it! Don't even mention her name! You won't touch her!"

"_Squilliam…." _

Squilliam's eyes popped open. Another whisper. Only this time, it was the desperate sound of a male's voice. What shocked Squilliam was that, not once in his lifetime, had his father's voice been so soft. Maybe harsh, demanding, and constructive…never desperate. But it was, undeniably, his father.

When Squilliam opened his eyes, his father was standing in front of him, looking like his stronger healthy self. Unaffected by the illness he died of. He was transparent. Anger rushed through Squilliam. Suddenly, all the deadly whispers had vanished.

Squilliam turned away. "Don't contact me!"

His father held out a tentacle. "Take it. There's no time. They'll consume you."

Squilliam flinched when the whispers sounded from under his feet again. "Why?" he asked.

His father's expression never changed. "Because…you're just like me."

Any other time, Squilliam would have lashed at anyone who suggested such a thing. But right now, he got the joke.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked.

"Back to the only reality you need right now," his father answered.

"I'm…still alive?"

"Yes. If you chose the right thing now."

Squilliam hesitated, then slowly reached out and took his father's tentacle. As soon as they touched, he was blinded by a white light. Then he heard nothing. His father was gone.

….

"Squilliam?"

Squilliam felt light as he listened to the sound of Squillia's voice. _Squillia!_

He wasn't in his nightmares any more. He could feel his body. He felt pain in his back. The only sound was the beeping of hospital monitors. Just like there had been before.

He felt something warm and gentle dabbing at his face and pried his eyes open. He felt…better. Like he could actually breathe. And his body felt like it was back to its normal size. But.,, How could that be?

His vision blurred after a few blinks. He smiled when he saw Squillia standing above him, looking as beautiful as ever.

His first impulse was to gush about just how grateful he was to see her standing there. But then he decided against it. Maybe it was best to keep the dreams to himself for now. But they would definitely be kept in mind. He had no doubt that they were a warning. One day, when he could think clearer, he would sort it out.

"Hello dear," he said softly.

"Oh Squilliam, I'm so glad you're awake!" Squillia gently touched her forehead to his.

He smiled when they shared a quick kiss. When they drew back, Squilla popped up out of nowhere, happier than he had seen her since the night before the accident.

"Dada!" she cooed sweetly.

He sighed and turned his head. "Hello sweetie."

"Dada. Mama… Da da da…"

He chuckled and rubbed his hand over her little back as she crawled around. He never thought he would hear her "jibber jabbering" again. Wait. He tried looking himself over when he realized Squilla's crawling didn't cause much pain. He lifted his arms. He wasn't hooked to nearly as many machines. Just an IV.

"Ah!" He cried out when lifting his shoulders proved to be just a little too much.

Squillia pushed him back against the pillows. "Hold your seahorses, Squilliam Fancyson. Recovery takes a while."

His eyes popped open when he caught that tone in her voice. She was smiling when he looked up at her. Relief flooded through him when he got the message. He grabbed her wrist with a serious expression.

"Who is the lucky donor?" he whispered. "I'll make it worth their while. I'll make sure they never suffer the risks, I'll…"

Tears sprung in Squillia's eyes as she grabbed his hand. "Sweetheart…. It was Squidward."

The world spun without him.

"What?" he gasped in disbelief. _Why would he ever…_

Squillia sobbed tears of relief and nodded. "It was Squidward. He saved your life! Dear, you were dying when they did the surgery."

For the first time in his life, Squilliam was struck speechless. He reclined against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling, trying to process it. Squillia sniffled and lifted Squilla as she stood.

"We're going to give you some time and get us something to eat, okay? They'll bring Squidward back in a little while. Oh, I love you."

Squilliam only moved his eyes when she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't go anywhere," she smiled.

Normally, he would have something clever to say to that, but he couldn't speak. All he could do was nod with his mouth slightly agape. _Squidward…_

His arch rival? The one he hated? The one who hated him? Since high school. Why would he ever give a part of himself to him? Why should Squidward save his life? Because of him, Squilliam had the chance to see his daughter grow up. He had the chance to know his unborn child, and... Lead his normal, successful life while Squidward went back to his miserable life at that dump of a fast food resturant. Why?

Squilliam couldn't get it through his mind. _Squidward…?_


End file.
